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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26843422">in bloom</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/malignance/pseuds/malignance'>malignance</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Descendants (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Language of Flowers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:33:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>779</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26843422</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/malignance/pseuds/malignance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She gives him a tulip.</p><p>(Only it's not just a tulip.)</p><p>He gives her a smile.</p><p>(Only it's not just a smile.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben/Evie (Disney: Descendants)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>in bloom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Evie arrives on Auradon with nothing but the fear in her heart and her mother's yellow poppies in her hand.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The world is, for the first time, expanding past the walls of the barrier, but Evie barely has the time to breathe it all in.</p><p>Mal's words, Maleficent's words, they echo in her head, they linger at the back of every other thought she has, holding on and making sure she doesn't forget.</p><p>When nobody is watching, and Evie feels she cannot think straight, she flexes her fingers and shuts her eyes and imagines flowers.</p><p>(There are daffodils in the flower vase next to Evie's bed and no one asks where they come from.)</p><p>One day while Mal is out, Ben visits. </p><p>"Hello." Evie greets, smiling softly.</p><p>Ben is surprised, and then receptive, and then warm. "Hi."</p><p>She gives him a tulip.</p><p>(Only it's not just a tulip.)</p><p>He gives her a smile.</p><p>(Only it's not just a smile.)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>"A love spell." Mal declares.</p><p>Evie blinks, swallows, goes along with it.</p><p>Then she is watching, breath held in, as Ben takes a big bite into the cookie, as his eyes begin to glaze over.</p><p>"It worked." Jay announces, triumphant.</p><p>Mal grins.</p><p>Evie can't find it in herself to even fake a smile.</p><p>(When she falls asleep that night, she dreams of blue eyes and purple hyacinths.)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Evie opens the door and finds Ben on the other side, freshly plucked bellflowers in his hands.</p><p>"Oh, hello, Evie." He says, shy.</p><p>Evie glances down at the flowers in his hands, then up to his eyes. "Hi, Ben. Mal's just getting ready, she'll be out in a bit."</p><p>When Mal emerges a moment later, and is given the flowers, Evie wonders if she even knows what they mean, what he is telling her.</p><p>(Three days later, when Evie opens the door and Ben is again on the other side, he has marigolds in his hands.</p><p>"Evie." He says, soft.</p><p>Evie glances down at the flowers in his hands, then up to his eyes. "Ben."</p><p>When Mal emerges a second later, and is given the flowers, Ben pauses and passes one to Evie.</p><p>Evie's breath is held, tight, trapped in her throat, and she wonders if Mal even knows what they mean, if Ben knows what he is telling her.)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Someone plants a bed full of rainflowers underneath Evie's window.</p><p>She looks down at them in the morning and feels something unnamable settle in her stomach.</p><p>"I'm worried." Mal confesses, and Evie tears her eyes away from the flowers to pay proper attention.</p><p>"What are you worried about?"</p><p>"Ben." Mal mumbles, head hung low. "Something's wrong... I thought we did the love spell right but it must've worn off somehow. He's acting strange."</p><p>Evie has nothing to say.</p><p>Mal sniffs once, then gets into bed and turns away.</p><p>(When Evie wakes up the next morning, the daffodils at her bedside have wilted.)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>On the day of the coronation, Ben arrives early.</p><p>Evie opens the door and he stands before her yet again, only this time there are no flowers in his hands.</p><p>"Evie." He breathes, eyes shining like he's been waiting for this moment.</p><p>She notices there is instead a flower peeking out from his pocket, a white gardenia.</p><p>Evie tries not to seem too shaken up. "Ben."</p><p>(Evie doesn't see this until Mal steps out, but there's a faint spark of yellow in the centre of the gardenia.</p><p>It is all she can think about when she walks into the hall.)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The wand passes from one pair of hands to another, to Mal's, then finally back to where it belongs.</p><p>Evie finally lets out the breath she's been holding in, her shaking hands finally becoming still again.</p><p>Ben walks towards her, from the other end of the hall.</p><p>Suddenly her heart rate is picking up again.</p><p>He stops in front of Mal, who stands between them.</p><p>He hands her a yellow carnation and says, "I'm sorry."</p><p>Mal grips the carnation tight, confused, eyes swimming with tears, and turns around so that she does not have to see Ben hand Evie the white one.</p><p>"Evie." Ben says, this time with a weight unlike any of the other times he's said her name.</p><p>"Ben." Evie replies, lighter than she's ever said it before.</p><p>Ben smiles, reaching his hand up to place the white carnation in Evie's hair, before letting his fingers move down to caress her cheek.</p><p>"Evie." He says again, with so much feeling that it scares her.</p><p>All she can do is kiss him, expressing everything she's kept hidden for so long.</p><p><em>I got your messages, </em>she says, without really saying it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>here we go! what each flower meant:</p><p>yellow poppy - wealth and success<br/>daffodil - rebirth and new beginnings<br/>tulip - perfect/ideal love (basically evie telling ben she likes him and thinks they'd make a great couple gsldjkgldjsg)<br/>purple hyacinth - sorrow, i am sorry<br/>bellflower - everlasting love<br/>marigold - cruelty, grief and jealousy <br/>rainflower - i love you back, i must atone for my sins, i will never forget you<br/>white gardenia - purity (BUT if the gardenia flower has a yellow tinge near its base, it means secret love, and in this case ben's love for evie is the secret love so ya)<br/>yellow carnation - disappointment or rejection<br/>white carnation - sweetness and loveliness, innocence and pure love</p></blockquote></div></div>
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